Update on Competitor Visas for the 2019 World Coffee Championships

March 6th, 2019

With the 2019 World Barista Championship and the World Brewers Cup around the corner, today WCE and SCA are saddened to confirm that at least three competitors have been denied visas by the US government to attend the events taking place in Boston.

Unfortunately, visa applications and denials are a recurring challenge in presenting these global events, and to address them, WCE provides invitation letters to competitors, highlighting their achievements and the great importance of bringing together all national body representatives on the global stage. These letters are presented by the competitors to the authorities as supporting evidence of their status as industry leaders. We have worked with all competitors who require a visa to provide them with all documentation required and will continue to support them with additional documentation if they choose to appeal the visa denial.

Helping to address situations where visas are denied for reasons beyond the competitor’s control was one of the key goals considered when crafting the Deffered Candidacy Policy. Our competitors who are unable to attend due to a denied visa are encouraged to use this tool to ensure their spot is saved and that they are able to compete in next year’s competition.

Visa denials have been a recurring problem for competitors across many competition years and locations. We at WCE and SCA will continue to provide support and do everything we can for our competitors who find themselves in these situations.